A family member of a political detainee has been visited by plainclothes police in Khon Kaen province ahead of a royal visit to a nearby province.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported that the wife of a political detainee was contacted by the police on 13 May while living in her hometown in Khon Kaen province. Her husband, Wichit (pseudonym), was prosecuted under the Computer Related Crime Act for ten messages that he posted on Facebook between 24 October 2014 and 20 June 2015 criticising the political situation following the 2014 coup. Some of the content referred to the monarchy. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison, and his case is currently under appeal.

Police from Khon Kaen’s Ban Pet Police Station informed the wife that the police would visit her to verify whether Wichit was staying there. She told them that her husband is currently detained at the Klong Prem Central Prison.

The police explained that they contacted her because King Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida were scheduled to make a royal visit to Kalasin province on 16 May, and the police wanted to ask Wichit whether he would like to submit a petition for a royal pardon. 

The detainee’s wife said that the police appeared to want an answer quickly. The police later admitted that the information they had received dated from before Wichit was imprisoned.

The police also told her that they would visit her to take photos of her and her house for a report to their commander. 

On the same day, four plainclothes officers arrived at the house in a four-door truck with no marks identifying it as a police vehicle. 

The police repeatedly asked her about her husband’s petition for a royal pardon and her relationship with Wichit. They asked to take photos of her, but she refused, given that their visit was not carried out through official procedures. However, the police insisted on taking photos of the house.

She later found out from a security guard that the police had claimed to have a warrant to visit Wichit’s house, but they did not show it to the guard.

Wichit’s wife noted that the police did not inform her of any warrant. 

Wichit’s wife concluded that this action by the authorities was unreasonable, and questioned why the authorities continued seeking information about her husband from a family member when he had already been convicted and imprisoned. 

She believed that the police could have obtained the information they were seeking through official channels, adding that their action could create anxiety for the detainee and his family. 

She also voiced concern for her child, who was often left home alone, saying she did not want the child to face such a situation.

It was reported that a family member of another political detainee in the Northeast encountered the same situation.

According to TLHR, during the first half of 2026, at least 17 citizens and activists have been similarly intimidated, particularly during royal visits to different provinces. 

A family member of another political detainee, Mongkhon “Busbas” Thirakot, who was sentenced to 46 years in prison for royal defamation, has also reportedly been the target of surveillance by the authorities, including four visits this year.

Throughout 2025, at least 83 activists, students, and individuals previously involved in political movements were reportedly monitored by the authorities, establishing a pattern of intimidation.